Fallen
by Zed33
Summary: In a futuristic world where the Catholic Church is in charge, any sinner is punished by the Holy Elite. But one priest who is one of the best Holy Elitists is a sinner himself: a homosexual, which is considered the worse sin among the church. Can he hide his "sin" forever? - WARNING: Yaoi. Synyster Gates/OC.
1. Introduction

Intro:

It was a devastating war. The alliance against rebels. Some people believed uniting the nation's was the right thing to do. Putting everyone under one law. Under one ruler. But the rebels were against it. They wanted independence. And World War 3 broke out. For a time it seemed the Rebels would win this war... until the Alliance called upon the Catholic Church for guidance.

The church was all for Alliance. They believed putting everyone under the same religion was the best way to bring the world toward redemption. And so, they formed a group, which they called The Holy Elite. A group of priests vowed to protect the Catholic Church and now the Alliance. Their contribution toward this war caused the Rebels to surrender and the Alliance to take over. The world was at peace... but at what cost? The freedom of everyone involved?

The Catholic Church was now in charge. Anyone who would disobey the church would be punished for their sin. And the Holy Elite was now in charge of punishing the sinners. Or, more likely, "getting rid" of sinners.

But one man of the Holy Elite was conflicted. He himself was a "sinner". He could not help it. It wasn't like he could just stop being what he was. It wasn't his fault he liked men. He had been that way for as long as he could remember. And he had to hide it. If he didn't then he would himself be "punished".

He was conflicted every time he had to punish a sinner knowing he himself was a sinner. He felt horrified and hypocritical every time he pulled the trigger or swing his knife.

Brian Haner, code named Synyster Gates, wasn't sure how long he could keep up the charade. This facade. How long could he keep it hidden before someone would catch on?

It wasn't easy. And meeting _him_ definitely did not help him any...


	2. Chapter 1: Alec

His hands shook uncontrollably as the blood dripped down his knuckles and onto the wooden floor. His grey eyes stared wide at the horrific sight before him. Even after years of this, Brian had not gotten used to it.

"You all right, Syn?" Came the female voice from across the room. But it sounded faded. Distant. Brian almost couldn't hear it. "Syn?" The female priest walked over to him and tapped his shoulder.

Brian turned his head to look at her.

She was beautiful, even though she had taken a vow to leave vanity behind. Her long blonde hair was braided, and her blue eyes looked like stars. Her pale skin was smooth and almost looked like porcelain. Her luscious lips were naturally red, so even if she never wore make-up, she still looked as though she wore lipstick. Her heavy hooded cloak covered her naturally beautiful body, which was the point of the outfits the Holy Elite were supposed to wear.

Brian looked back at the body of the young man he had torn to shreds with his skinning knives. He paled, wanting to vomit at the sight. Even more so at the fact that he himself had done this deed. "I'm fine," he mumbled, his grip on his knives tightening.

The female priest glanced at the body and sighed. "I know," she whispered. "Me too."

Brian turned away and began storming off. "We need to head back and let the Father know the punishment is fulfilled." He halted at the door of the darkened room and glanced back at the body once more.

The boy could not have been more than 17. Just a child. Punished for committing the sin of attempting suicide. The boy was depressed and alone after his parents had been killed in an aero-mobile accident. Brian felt instead of "punishing" him for attempting suicide, they should have brought him to the church for help and guidance. But the Father never saw things that way. No matter what or how, to him a sin was a sin, even if it was unintentional, and should be punished by all means necessary.

Brian looked at the woman and said, "Let's go, Kiva."

Kiva hesitantly nodded, and followed close behind, leaving the body to rot on the floor. It was a hard life, but nothing else was acceptable.

It was dark out and raining by the time Brian and Kiva left the apartment complex, ready to head back to the church. The City of L.A. was dark enough from all the pollution and tall, grey buildings that covered the area, but with the rainy season, it was almost like the sun didn't even exist in this city.

Brian hopped onto his a aero-pod; a motorcycle shaped vehicle that could hover over the ground; and glanced at Kiva. "Meet you there," he told her as he started the engine.

Kiva turned to him. "Where you going?"

Brian glanced around at the dark, busy street, and said, "Just a quick detour."

Kiva knew what he meant and she nodded before turning to walk toward her own aero-pod. "I'll tell the Father you got caught up in traffic." She hopped onto her aero-pod, revved the engine and took off.

Brian looked up at the darkened sky and closed his eyes, allowing the cool rain drop on his pale face. It felt good, especially after what he had done. He let his black hair get soaked then shook it, allowing it to fall around his face. He revved his engine before taking off in the opposite direction Kiva had gone.

He always did this. After every punishment he inflicted he always needed to go to the far end of the city, near the water, and relax. Even on a cold rainy day like this, it was his only sanctuary.

He reached the beach in no time at all, avoiding traffic as much as possible, and he turned off the engine when he landed his aero-pod. He slipped off the vehicle and pulled his hood over his head, and walked toward the half-destroyed cement path that had been built to walk near the water without getting sand on you. After years of zero maintenance though, it was cracked and sand and grass had begun growing through the cracks, making a walk a little less easy. But Brian didn't care. This was his time to relax.

He walked until he came across an old picnic area now covered in moss and he trotted over to sit down on a bench under the overhang. He pulled down his hood, then reached into his locked and pulled out a pack of red label Marlboro and a lighter. After lighting a cigarette and taking in a puff, he looked up and slowly sighed out the smoke, already feeling the relaxing high the nicotine gave him.

"You got any more?"

The voice startled Brian and he turned to see a young man wearing a hooded jacket leaning against the back pillar of the overhang. Because the hood was draped over his head and half of his face, Brian couldn't make out any features.

"A cigarette," the man said, pointing toward Brian.

Brian glanced at his cigarette, then back at the man and answered, "Sure." He pulled out his pack and lighter again, setting it on the picnic table behind him.

"Cool," the man said, walking over and grabbing the pack. After lighting his own cigarette he sat on the other end of the bench, pulling his hood off his head.

Brian glanced over and took in every feature of the young man's face:

Very young. Maybe only 18 or 19. Thick raven black hair, and bright green eyes. Skin like porcelain and smooth. Thin, yet soft-looking lips as pale as the rest of his skin. Handsome.

Brian couldn't help the heat building up in his lower extremities as he looked at those green eyes. He had never seen anything like it before. They looked almost like acid that would burn into your soul, but they also had a hint of emerald that would sparkle if placed into the right light.

The man must have noticed Brian staring at him because he turned his head to look at him with furrowed, slender brows.

Brian looked away immediately and cleared his throat just before taking another puff from his cigarette.

"Holy Elite?" the man asked casually, as if it didn't phase him.

Brian looked at him again, slightly confused by the younger man's question, then answered, "Yes. How'd you guess?"

The man pointed at Brian's neck and answered, "Cross gave it away."

Brian brought his hand to the back his neck and remembered the "brand" he was given when he took his vows: a Catholic cross tattooed onto the back of his neck. Small but easily noticeable. He sighed as he dropped his hand. "Yeah," he mumbled.

The man raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't like your job?"

Brian chuckled. "As much as I hate it, I don't have a choice."

"Why not?"

Brian glanced out at the water, then took the last puff of his cigarette before throwing it out into the rain. "You can't just quit the Elite. It's a calling. And once you're called you can't turn back."

The man nodded as if understanding and tossed his finished cigarette into the rain as well. "Can I ask your name?" He looked back at Brian.

Brian chuckled. "Synyster Gates."

The man grimaced. "That's not your real name..."

Brian smiled humorously. "Nope."

The man sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "You can't tell me your real name. Right?"

"Yup," Brian answered as he leaned back on the bench with his arms resting on the back of it.

The man looked Brian and smiled. "Well I'm Alec. And yes, that's my real name."

Brian chuckled again. "I figured." He gave Alec a warm smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Alec."

"You as well, Gates." He stood up and glanced out at the water. "You come here often?"

Brian glanced out at the water as well and nodded. "Yeah."

Alec turned to him with a warm smile. "Let's meet here again sometime." He held a slander hand out toward Brian.

Brian glanced at the hand, the smiled and took it into his own hand to shake. "Why not?"

When they finished shaking hands, Alec spun around and said, "I gotta go. See you later." And he took off.

Brian stared after him a moment, then sighed and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. "Shit," he whispered, rubbing his blushing face. "Shoulda said no..." He couldn't help it. The lustful feeling in his heart and in his black jeans. His stomach began to knot up at the thought of those green eyes. He ran his fingers through his damp hair a moment and let out a heavy sigh before standing up and walking back down the path toward his aero-pod. "Most people freak out at the sight of the Holy Elite. They drop their eyes to a avoidingd eye-contact and step aside to stay out of the way..."

When he reached his aero-pod he dropped into the seat and took one more glance out at the water before starting the engine. "This isn't gonna be easy..."

«*»

The church was magnificent. Huge and glorious. Two tall bell towers, one on either side, and a steeple that reached high up towards the heavens. The front steps were polished marble that led up to four sets of double doors made of dark red oak. They opened up to the sanctuary, revealing rows of dark wooden pews facing toward a large and magnificent stage where on one side stood a podium, behind it a baptismal bowl, and on the other side of the stage were white bleachers for the choir to sit during sermons, then stand on when it was time to sing.

To the left of the stage was the confessional booth, which is where Brian was heading when he entered the church. He stepped into the booth, shut the door and turned toward the back wall. He placed his hand on a stone block on the wall and it slid open, revealing a hand pad. He placed his hand on it and it read his hand print. Then another stone block at eye-level slid open and a blue light flashed at Brian. He looked straight at the device on the wall and allowed the blue light to scan his eyes.

"Welcome Synyster Gates, number two of the Holy Elite," said an electronic, female voice.

The stone wall rattled and slid open, revealing a secret staircase that led down underneath the church. Brian stepped in and the wall slid closed again.

When Brian reached the base of the stairs, Kiva was standing with her arms crossed, back leaning against the two large stone doors from across the room. When she saw Brian, she pushed herself off the doors and dropped her arms. "He won't see me without you," she stated.

Brian sighed. "Usually means he's upset that I didn't come back right away."

Kiva shrugged, then crossed her arms as she glanced around the room.

It was dim. A small room made entirely of stone. A single table the only piece of furniture with a circular light on the wall behind it. The only source of light in the room.

"He can be pretty... grumpy on rainy days," Kiva said with a smirk. She looked at Brian and said, "He also has a thing for you."

Brian glared at her. "That's blasphemy."

Kiva chuckled. "I didn't mean it like that..." She shrugged. "You're his favorite Elitist. It's surprising he hasn't made you First yet."

"Matthew is First," Brian mumbled. "Because he's the best." He looked at her with a sad expression. "I could never do what he does."

Kiva frowned and glanced at the floor. "Understandable." She turned facing toward the light, still staring at the floor.

"Come!" came a booming voice from behind the doors.

Kiva looked at Brian. "Already knows you're here..."

Brian shrugged.

Kiva turned back to the door and grabbed the handle. She yanked the heavy door open like it was nothing and held it for Brian to enter first. Once he entered, she followed behind.

The room was large and set up like an office. Book shelves on nearly every wall. At the far end was a large oak desk with an elderly man wearing a cardinal uniform sitting in the chair behind it. The man sat back in his chair with his hands folded, his two pointers pressed to his lips as he carefully examined the two warriors standing before him. When they reached the desk the man asked, "Is the sinner taken care of?"

"Yes, Father," Kiva answered firmly.

The man looked at her for a moment then, at Brian, waiting for him to answer.

Brian cleared his throat and said, "Yes, Father. The sinner has been punished."

The man nodded in satisfaction as he dropped his folded hands into his lap. "I have another target for you." He opened a drawer at the side of his desk and pulled out a file. "Two, actually." He tossed the file onto the desk. "Two young men. They are homosexuals."

Kiva picked up the file and skimmed through it, then handed it to Brian to look through.

Brian took the file and opened it. The first man was a 25 year old with black hair and brown eyes. His name was Amos Chik. An honest working man, his job title a lawyer. He was new at his job having just graduated college. Brian flipped to the next target and paled noticeably when he saw who it was.

Alec Norian. Eighteen. Fresh out of high school, and about to start college to be a professional artist...

Brian gulped, staring at the photo of the man he had shared a smoke with only thirty minutes before. And once again, those beautiful green eyes made his blood run amok, but his face remained pale and the knot in his stomach made him want to vomit.

"They are... what you call _lovers_," the elder man spat in disgust. "They must be punished immediately."

Brian's head snapped up to look at the older man. Hatred made his blood boil and in his head he imagined himself shredding this man into pieces the way he had done to the sinner earlier that day. He clenched his jaw to keep himself from saying anything.

Kiva stepped forward and said, "It will be done, Father."

"Good." The old man stood up and walked over to a bookshelf, his hands folded behind his back. "Dismissed."

Kiva turned and began walking toward the door. She halted and turned toward Brian who remained silently glaring at the old man. "Synyster Gates..."

Brian immediately turned and stormed out, pushing passed Kiva as if she weren't there.

When Kiva stepped out and shut the door, she asked, "What's wrong, Syn?"

Brian looked at her over his shoulder with a glare. He looked at the file in his hands, then tore out the first target and handed it to her. "You take him. I'll take... this one..." He looked at the photo of Alec again. His heart sank. He couldn't do it. There was just no way...

"We work in pairs for a reason, Syn," Kiva said firmly. She walked over to Brian, looking him in the eyes. "What's got you all shaken up? I've never seen you like this before..."

Brian dropped his gaze. He couldn't look her in the eye. Not this time. He had only just met Alec. And only for a brief minute. But in his heart he already knew how he felt toward the younger man. He couldn't help himself. It was love at first sight. It's not something you can control. That's why they call it _falling_ in love...

Kiva stared at him a moment, then looked at the file Brian held in his hand. "You know him," she whispered.

Brian turned and began walking up the stairs.

Kiva stared after him, her face paling. "You... love him..."

Brian halted at the door and sighed heavily. He turned and shrugged at her. "Gonna punish me for my sin?"

Kiva only stared.

"You probably should." Brian held his arms out. "I'm ready. Go ahead."

Kiva hesitated a moment, then walked slowly up the stairs until she was face to face with him. Her hands were clenched into fists and her face was turning red with what looked like rage. After a few moments, she sighed, her hands relaxing. She averted her gaze to the wall and said, "I will pretend we never had this conversation." She crossed her arms. "But I'm still going after both targets..." She looked up at him and waited before continuing: "I will give you a head start. If he's not out of town by nightfall, I'm taking him out."

Brian stared at her with wide eyes, shocked at her reaction. He nodded and softly said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Kiva pressed passed him and walked out the door into the confessional booth.

Brian let out a sigh of relief. He looked down at the file in his hand again and whispered, "I should've known... that I'd have to run..."


	3. Chapter 2: Escape The City

Brian ran down the walkway, being sure not to trip over the cracks and grass and made it to the overhang at the picnic area in no time. It was where he had met Alec. He had hoped the young man was there. He preferred to not go to Alex's home in fear of the Father watching. There were hidden cameras all around the city and there was a possibility of being seen helping Alec escape. When Brian reached the picnic area he hoped, prayed, that Alec would be there. When he didn't see the younger man, he risked calling his name.

"Alec! Alec Norian!"

No answer.

"Shit..." He knew not to expect him to be here. But he truly hoped. It would have made things easier. But before going back to his aero-pod he ran out in the direction Alec had gone before and he hoped he was still nearby. "Alec!" He kept calling, his heart racing. "God Damn it, please be here..." But there was no sign of him. "Fucking..." Frustrated, Brian turned and ran back to his aero-pod. As he started the engine and began hovering over the ground he sighed in annoyance. "I really am gonna have to run..." He thought to himself as he revved the engine and took off quickly, back into the city.

He had the man's address via the folder he had been given. It was not too far, but even after getting there he knew he would have to convince Alec to go with him, then get out of the city without getting caught. Getting out would be the hard part, because the Father would know about it through the cameras and have the entire Holy Elite after him immediately.

Brian checked the clock built into the handles of his aero-pod and grunted in frustration. The sun would be setting in less than an hour. At least, if you could see the sun it would. He picked up speed weaving around bystanders and cutting through alleyways to get there faster.

It was a quaint house in what was once called the Suburbs, but in the year 2039, it was considered the Nethers, for its tacky and rundown homes. If this were a kingdom, this area was where the "commoners" lived.

Brian parked his aero-pod at the back of the little, grey house that looked like it needed some severe home repair, and stormed to the back door. Standing on the cement porch, rain pouring down harder now on his already soaked head, he banged on the door.

In moments a small old woman opened the door and was surprised to see Brian standing there. She had grey hair and deep blue eyes. She had a knitted shawl over her shoulders. She looked up at him through horn-rimmed glasses, confused by his presence. "May I help you?" she asked in a weak, groggy voice she obviously had developed through years of chain-smoking.

Brian stared at her a moment, then asked, "Is Alec in?"

The woman beamed as her smile lit her old, tired face. "Why, yes, dear. He is in the kitchen, cleaning dishes." She stepped aside, holding the door open. "Please come in."

Brian nodded as he stepped in quickly.

"You must a friend of his," the woman continued as she walked him down the hall toward the kitchen, which was near the front of the house.

"Sure," Brian mumbled, wishing the woman would walk faster.

"Alec has many friends." The woman gave a silent giggle. "Such a popular young man he is." When they reached the opening to the kitchen, she moved aside and smiled up at Brian as she held her arm up toward the opening. "I'll let you have some time with him." She turned and continued down the hall toward what looked to be a living room.

Brian looked into the kitchen and saw Alec with his back turned, scrubbing dishes at the rusted sink and placing them into the old dishwasher that looked like it had a broken rack. He froze, staring at the younger man's back, already imagining those pale green eyes looking at him. He began to imagine how the man would react to the news... those green eyes filled with tears, knowing he'd have to leave his whole life behind...

Alec turned right then and gave a start, catching himself on the counter behind him. "Fuck...!" He stared at Brian for a long moment, then his face paled. "So... you know..."

Brian almost didn't hear him, his mind becoming a fog after seeing those green eyes again. He nodded slowly.

Alec sighed and brought his hand up to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then stroked his black hair as he said, "And you're here to punish me for my sin..."

"No," was Brian's blunt answer.

Alec raised his head, looking at him in confusion. "I'm sorry... what?"

Brian took a few steps forward then halted again. "I'm... I don't have a lot of time to explain. I just need to get you out of the city as soon as possible."

Alec was more confused. "Why...?"

Brian grunted as he scratched the back of his head in frustration. "You wanna die? In the worse way possible?"

Alec fell silent and gulped. He shook his head, now unable to speak.

"Then grab what you can carry and let's get the fuck outta here," Brian demanded, turning away.

Alec hesitated a moment, then walked quickly passed Brian, out of the kitchen. He walked across the hall and went into a room. Minutes later he came out wearing his hooded jacket and carrying a backpack. He looked at Brian and asked, "Do I have time to say goodbye to Nana?"

Brian came out to the hallway and glanced toward the living room where the old woman had disappeared into. He looked back at Alec, once again getting caught in that sea of green for a moment. He cleared his throat as he looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled.

Alec nodded, then walked toward the living room. When he entered he saw his grandmother sitting on the half shredded chair, knitting a new scarf. He gulped as he walked over to her and knelt beside her chair. When she looked at him and smiled, he smiled back. "I have to get going, Nana."

"Oh?" the old woman asked, looking back at her scarf, continuing to knit. "Off with your friends again?"

Alec nodded. "Yes, Nana. And..." He gulped, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. "I might not be back... for a while..."

Nana nodded. She looked at him with a smile, then reached out and gently grabbed his chin with her small, delicate hand. "Then you have fun, dearie. And be safe." She went back to knitting, letting go of Alec's chin. Completely oblivious to the situation.

Alec stared at her for a long moment before standing. He cleared his throat before saying, "Goodbye, Nana..." He stared at her a moment longer, then turned and walked quickly back into the hall.

Brian was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and foot tapping. When he saw Alec come back, he pushed himself off the wall and asked, "Ready?"

Alec nodded, but did not make eye-contact with the man.

Brian turned and said, "Be prepared for some hell. I'm sure the Father knows by now that I'm a traitor." He walked quickly toward the back door and Alec followed, without hesitation. Brian glanced at him over his shoulder and asked, "No questions?"

Alec looked up at him, then answered, "Tons. But you said you'd explain once we got out of the city. And I'm a patient man."

Brian raised an eyebrow as he opened the door, letting Alec through first, then followed behind, shutting the door behind him. He walked quickly to his aero-pod and hopped on. He looked at Alec who seemed hesitant, and he said, "It's safe. Get on."

Alec took in a deep breath and sighed it out as he walked over and sat down behind Brian.

Brian became immediately aware of the closeness when he felt Alec's arms wrap around his torso. He could feel his face turn read as his pants seemed to suddenly get tighter. Brian took in a deep breath to calm his nerves before saying, "Hold on tight. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

Alec's grip around Brian grew tighter as the aero-pod took off down the beaten street. It had been so long since the roads in the Nethers had received any maintenance, the roads were cracked and deformed from past earthquakes. It was a good thing Brian had and aero-pod, otherwise getting out of this place would be impossible. Going on foot would only get them caught on the spot. And when Brian heard the siren in the far distance go off, he knew it was over for him. He had to get out fast and never return. He would need to find someplace underground to hide for the rest of his life, because the rest of the world would be after him.

Brian swerved around corners and weaved around bystanders who would jump out of the way. He would hear people yelling after him angrily for nearly running them over. But none of that concerned him. What concerned him was the sound of two aero-pods behind him, slowly catching up. He glanced behind, over his shoulder. Around Alec's head, he could see two of his colleagues: John and Roman. Both were good men and very good at their job. Brian shifted gears as he looked back at the street ahead of him and sped up, weaving quickly around corners forming a zig-zag route, hoping to lose the two men quickly. But the men stayed right on their tail.

Alec glanced over his shoulder at the men, then looked at Brian. "I think we need a plan..."

"We have one!" Brian shouted. "To get the hell outta dodge!"

"We need to get rid of them!" Alec shouted.

Brian pressed a button on the handle of his aero-pod and two slots on the back of the seat opened. A gun barrel in either slot came out and immediately began shooting.

Alec yelped in shock as he buried his head in Brian's back.

Behind them, the two men immediately swerved into alleys to get out of the line of fire. Brian glanced behind to make sure they were gone. He looked back ahead and turned off the guns. "How's that for a plan?" He asked sarcastically. But once he looked straight ahead, he paled.

Just down the road, at the end of the street, were two more Holy Elitists. Waiting for them to get closer.

Brian glared as he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a pistol. He aimed straight ahead. "Never thought I'd have to pull my gun on my own colleagues," he mumbled. He began shooting. The men immediately shot back at him and he swerved, nearly tilting over his aero-pod. "Jesus," he grumbled. He weaved into another alleyway and in the corner of his eye he saw the two men coming after him. He weaved around a few corners, sticking to the narrow alleys, trying to get the men off his trail. And for a time it seemed he had. Until one appeared before him. The Holy Elitist was wearing a helmet, covering his face, so Brian could not see who it was. Brian immediately tried swerving around another corner, but was too quick and the aero-pod tilted. Brian immediately turned and grabbed hold of Alec. He adjusted himself so that he would land on his back and keep Alec from getting hurt. He landed hard and slid across the dirt in the dark alleyway, the aero-pod landing and sliding as well, toward him. He lifted his booted feet and used them to block the aero-pod and keep it from slamming into them. Brian thanked God the aero-pod had slowed down enough that when it reached them, he didn't have to use too much force and risk breaking his legs. He looked down at Alec and the sight of the younger man made his heart melt.

Alec was gripping Brian's overcoat tightly and buried his face into the man's chest. He was shivering, scared and cold.

Brian couldn't help himself. He lifted his hand and gently stroked the younger man's soaked black hair, and he leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Alec's head.

Alec looked up at him, his face pale and eyes wide.

Brian was immediately lost in those eyes once again. There was no helping it. Those eyes were a sea of green that captured any man's heart, trapping it forever. Without thinking, he began to lean in, cupping Alec's jaw in his hand. He was going to kiss him. He wasn't sure why, exactly. Or even how: How could he have fallen so in love with someone after only knowing them half a day? Was it really possible? Could this be a dream? He wasn't sure. Either way... He wanted him. He wanted Alec.

A gun shot rang through the alleyway and the bullet whizzed passed their heads. Brian looked up and saw the Holy Elitist walking toward them, gun aimed at them. Brian wrapped his arms around the terrified man that lay on top of him and glared up at the man. The man in the helmet seemed to hesitate a moment before lowering his gun. He lifted his free hand and pulled the helmet off.

Brian was shocked to see that blonde braid fall out of the helmet and over Kiva's shoulder. She glared down at him and said, "I'll cover you." She turned her back to him, looking down the alleyway, in the direction where the sound of distant aero-pods were coming from.

Brian hesitated, then stood up, helping Alec to his feet. He looked at Kiva and asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Kiva looked at him over her shoulder and her eyes were full of sorrow. Even though it was raining, you could tell she had tears in her eyes. And Brian knew exactly why she was helping them.

"Kiva," Brian whispered. "Why have you never told me?"

"Go before I kill you myself!" was Kiva's answer. She turned back toward the sound of aero-pods and some her gun straight ahead, waiting for any sight of them.

Brian stood in silence a moment, then nodded and said, "Thank you, Kiva. I won't forget this." He grabbed his aero-pod and sat it upright, hopped onto it and started the engine. He motioned for Alec to get on, and once he was holding onto Brian tightly, they took off.

«*»

Thanks to Kiva, Brian and Alec were able to escape the city, unharmed. Although Brian's back was sore from landing hard and sliding across the dirt when Kiva suddenly appeared earlier. Other than that, they were okay.

The land between cities was nothing but a desert area. Many of the buildings from the modern days had been torn down, but because of so much pollution, the land was no longer able to thrive, leaving behind a desert, covered in a thick fog.

As the sky turned black, the clouds began to disperse. The rain was gone and the sky was clear enough to see a start here and there, and the half moon. Brian parked his aero-pod and let Alec off first before jumping off himself. He saw Alec shivering, as if he were cold. And it made sense, since it had been raining the entire day. Brian grabbed hold of the seat on his aero-pod and yanked it up, revealing a hidden pocket where he kept his survival kit. Something that every Holy Elitist was to have on them at all times, for any situation. He pulled out the bag and yanked it open.

There was a first aid kit, some matches, a few rations, a small box with two syringes of morphine (for two possible reasons: in case someone needed to be taken in for questioning, or if someone was in too much pain to handle it). There was also some extra magazines with 15 rounds in each for his pistol. He pulled out the matches, then took a quick look around. "I suppose finding wood for a fire is impossible around here," he mumbled to himself.

Alec turned toward him and stared a moment before walking over to him. When Brian noticed him and looked up at him, Alec said, "You said you'd explain when we got out of the city. Well, we're out of the city. So explain."

Brian raised an eyebrow, surprised by Alec's boldness. It was unexpected. But Brian had to remember that he had only known Alec for half a day, and he shouldn't make quick assumptions about him. "Okay... I was sent to punish you for your sin."

"Yeah, I get that." Alec crossed his arms. "I wanna know why you didn't kill me."

Brian froze. He wasn't sure what to tell him exactly. They had only just met. How would Alec react to the fact that a stranger had fallen in love with him? "It's..." Brian looked down. "I don't know."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "You... don't know..." He sounded annoyed. He dropped his arms and glared up at Brian. "You're a stranger. Part of the Holy Elite. Your job is punish sinners. But instead, you help me escape God's wrath. Why?"

Brian sighed and sat down on the ground. He bent one leg resting his arm on his knee. He stared off into the distance and began with a simple: "I'm a sinner too..."

Alec pursed his lips and stared at him. He then sat down beside him, Indian style, and said, "Continue."

"I'm a homo. Just like you..." Brian pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing. "My partner and I were assigned to punish you and your boyfriend. But I couldn't... do it..."

"Wait..." Alec turned toward Brian, slightly panicked. "Did you help Amos escape?"

Brian looked at him and stared with a blank expression. Shit... He hadn't thought about Amos. He was only worried about saving Alec. Amos wasn't on his mind at all...

Alec seemed to be able to read Brian's mind. "No..." he whispered. He turned away and put a hand over his mouth. "Oh God, no..."

Brian turned to Alec. "Alec, I... I'm so-"

Alec swung around and punched him across the face. For a young man who didn't seem very strong, he had a great right hook. "You didn't save him!" he shouted. "You save me but you let my boyfriend get slaughtered by your buddies!?"

Brian regained his balance, holding his sore jaw, and looked at Alec wide-eyed.

Alec stood, hands in tight fists. "What the fuck, you bastard!? Why!?."

Brian stood up as well and said, "I was only thinking of you-"

"Why!?" Alec screamed. And there came the tears. "How could you-" He leaned forward and let out a horrible sob. He turned away, bringing his hands to his face as he let out a loud, echoing scream.

Brian wanted so bad to console him. Seeing the younger man in pain made him freeze and his heart sink into his stomach. He stepped toward Alec and placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

Alec yanked away from him, then dropped to his knees. He looked up at the dark sky, letting his tears drip down his face and chin. He slowly turned his head, glancing up at Brian, and softly asked, "Why only me? If you wanted to help me because you're a sinner as well... then why not help the both of us?"

Brian froze again. This was going to be awkward. He scratched the back of his head, avoiding Alec's eyes. Finally, he answered, "Because I... I have... feelings... for you, Alec."

Alec was silent for a moment, then stood up and turned toward Brian. He shoved the older man and shouted, "So you let Amos die because he was in your way!? You fucking bastard!" He attempted to punch him again but this time Brian grabbed his wrist. "Let go of me!" Alec tried pulling away, but Brian's grip was too firm. "You should have just killed me!" Alec began using his free hand to smack Brian in the face and chest, but Brian grabbed that hand too in a firm grip. "That's your job, isn't it!? Let the fuck go!"

Brian pulled Alec close and held him tight.

Alec began weeping against Brian's chest. "I hate you!" he cried in between sobs. He fell limp and Brian caught him, then they slowly sat on the ground.

Brian held Alec close and began stroking the younger man's black hair. He felt his eyes start to well up. "I'm... sorry," he whispered as he stared off into the distance. He blinked and a tear escaped, falling directly to the ground.

It would be a long night for the both of them. The beginning of a long and rough journey. A journey that seemed would have no end...


	4. Chapter 3: Number One

"They must be punished!" the Father yelled in frustration as he paced back and forward in his office. "Synyster Gates had such potential. I cannot believe his sinful actions!"

"Says the man who let them get away."

The Father stopped pacing and turned to glare at the man who stood in the darkened corner of the room. "Do not dare blame me for the actions of a sinner!"

The man chuckled as he stepped into the light of the room. "Of course not. Father." The man was tall and strong. Had a shaved head and bright blue eyes and pale skin.

The Father walked over to his desk and sat down, folding his hands under his chin. "Can I trust you to track down and punish these sinners, Matthew Shadows, Number One of the Holy Elite?"

Matthew smirked and said, "Yes, Father."

«*»

The next morning was awkward. Alec had fallen asleep while in Brian's arms, and Brian didn't sleep all night, keeping an eye out for any Holy Elite that would be after them. When Alec woke up and realized he was still in Brian's arms, he immediately pushed himself away and turned, avoiding eye-contact as much as possible. Even when Brian handed him an energy bar from his survival kit, Alec took it with a mumbled "thank you" and continued to avoid looking at him. Brian sighed as he readied the aero-pod, then he looked at Alec and asked, "You still coming with me?"

Alec glanced over but immediately looked away again and said, "I don't have a choice." He stood up and walked over to the aero-pod. Once Brian was on, he climbed on behind him and held onto him. "Where we headed?"

"North," Brian answered. "Haven't decided where exactly. Every major city would have a BOLO out on us by now."

"What about that woman?" Alec suddenly asked as Brian turned on the engine. "The one who helped us?"

Brian sat in silence for a moment, closing his eyes as he thought about the sorrow in Kiva's eyes. He had asked her why she had never told him how she felt about him, but he already knew the answer to that: the Holy Elite were made of priests. Allowing a love relationship between two priests was against the law of the church. Allowing a love relationship for a priest was against church law _period_. He sighed and softly said, "I don't doubt that she's been... _punished_ for helping us escape."

Alec remained silent.

"It's as good a sin as any..." Brian revved the engine, then took off, heading North.

«*»

It was dark and damp. Cold. The smell of blood invaded Kiva's nose as she began to slowly awake. Her head was throbbing from the blow she had received the night before, when she had been caught. After helping Brian and Alec escape, she was surrounded and outnumbered. She surrendered, expecting to die then and there. But someone had come up from behind and hit her hard over the head, knocking her out.

She groaned when she felt soreness in her shoulders, and as she opened her eyes she realized it was because her arms were chained over her head to the cold, stone wall behind her. She glanced around and froze in terror when she realized where she was.

The room she was in was mostly empty. It was like an old dungeon cell you would see in movies that took place during medieval times. Just a cold, damp cell with one barred window way up near the ceiling, hay on the floor and a barred door across the room from where she was.

But this was more than just a medieval look-alike dungeon. This was where the Holy Elite would bring people involved with sinners to... "interrogate" them. More like...

"Torture," Kiva whispered under her breath. The sound of screams echoing throughout the dungeon only proved her terrifying suspicion, and when she heard footsteps heading her way, she wished she had been killed. When the silhouette of a man appeared on the other side of the cell door, Kiva dared not look away. She glared at the figure as he unlocked the door and stepped in.

The man wore a thick black cloak and a hood that overshadowed his face, so Kiva could not identify him. But she figured it was either Joshua or Boheim. Both seriously sadistic bastards who loved their job way too much. In one hand the man held a long electric rod, used to bludgeon the _interviewee_ for answers.

Kiva continued to glare at him, showing no signs of fear or remorse.

The hooded man held up his electric rod and was ready to start beating Kiva when another man came in and shouted, "Halt!" Both Kiva and the hooded man looked at the man who had just walked in. Kiva's eyes widened in horror when she saw Matthew Shadows walk in with his dark smirk. "Leave us," he told the hooded man, not taking his eyes off Kiva.

The man gave a slight bow and left immediately.

Matthew glanced around the room, then walked over to Kiva. "Plotting with sinners, are we?" he asked sarcastically.

Kiva spat at his feet.

Matthew only laughed. "You think that's intimidating?" He crossed his arms as he leaned against a wall.

"No," Kiva answered nonchalantly. She smirked. "It's more... humiliating."

Matthew shrugged as he pushed himself off the wall. "I am a humble man." He smiled. An oddly kind smile. It terrified Kiva. "And I am willing to help you."

Kiva chuckled, shaking her head as she looked at the ground. "Help me how? The Father would never just let a sinner go free."

"Exactly," Matthew said, raising a finger in agreement. "He doesn't want to kill you, per se. His plan is to make you suffer."

Kiva looked up at him blankly, but deep in her eyes, she was terrified.

Matthew smirked, knowing he had her right where he wanted her. He stepped over to her, placing one hand against the wall by her head and leaned forward, making eye-contact with her. Still smirking, he spoke in a soft voice: "You tell me where they are, I will kill you painlessly. That's the deal."

Kiva stared into the man's bright eyes for a long moment before finally answering, "I honest to God have no idea where they are... I confess I helped them escape, but damn if I know where they are heading..."

Matthew's smirk did not falter as he stared at her. He pushed himself off the wall and took two steps back from her. "Okay," he said with a nod. He turned and left the cell, shouting, "She's all yours!"

The hooded came back in right away, his rod at the ready.

Kiva glared at the man as he slowly approached. This was not going to be a pretty sight...

«*»

Matthew threw off his cloak as he approached his aero-pod. He wore a black turtle neck tank top tucked into black cargo pants and wore combat boots. (It was a hot sunny day. He would not need his heavy cloak.) When he reached his aero-pod he pulled out his long sword from the latch that was on it and attached it to his back. Four men pulled up alongside him on their aero-pods and waited. Matthew looked at each of them and nodded. As he jumped onto his aero-pod, he shouted at the men,"All of you, stay on me! We'll head in the direction they were seen going when they were leaving the city, and go from there! Father's orders is to track them down and punish them for their sins! In other words-" He smirked as he pulled on a pair of black, fingerless gloves. He started the engine and leaned forward, still smirking. "-Kill 'em," he whispered as he revved his engine and took off with the four men following close behind.

«*»

When Brian parked the aero-pod just outside a rundown, middle-of-nowhere, bar and grill, he waited for Alec to step off first, then got off and turned to the younger man. Brian sighed when Alec turned away. "We should be safe here... for now, anyway. News travels slow in the desert."

Alec continued to avoid Brian's eyes, his arms crossed and head turned, looking out toward the horizon. It seemed there was nothing out there but sand and sun.

Brian nodded as he turned. "Avoid me all you want, but I have money for food, and I'm sure you're starving by now." He began walking toward the door of the old bar.

Alec watched him walk away for a moment, the dropped his arms and called, "I never said thank you."

Brian stopped and turned back toward Alec.

Alec gulped, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "For... for saving me. For not... killing me. And helping me escape."

Brian raised an eyebrow at him.

Alec gulped and shifted his weight, looking shyly at the ground. "So... thanks..."

Brian couldn't help but smile. Alec's shy side was quite attractive. "You're welcome."

Alec looked up at him, then gulped again. He crossed his arms once more, once again avoiding Brian's eyes. "D-don't get a big head... I'm still pissed you let Amos..." He paused suddenly, staring at the wood of the building, standing in silence for a long time.

Brian looked away, suddenly wanting to avoid eye-contact as well.

"I _am_ hungry..." Alec walked passed Brian, up the steps and through the doors into the restaurant.

Brian stood in silence for a moment before taking a quick glance around, making sure there was no one in the distance, then he walked up the steps, following Alec inside.

It was dark inside, a few lights here and there. There were tables all over, but only a few people. The music that was playing was classic country. Everyone turned to look at the two men as they walked in, but immediately went back to doing what they were doing. Alec immediately headed toward the bar and sat down, looking up at the menu.

Brian glanced around, taking in his surroundings, checking for all exits, getting a good look at the people in the restaurant, then walked over to the bar and sat near Alec.

Alec was already ordering: "A chicken ranch wrap with some water, please."

The bar tender wrote down the order, then looked at Brian who was taking off his cloak. When Brian realized the man was waiting for an order, he glanced up at the menu. He skimmed it quickly before saying, "Cheese steak sandwich. With bourbon."

The bar tender wrote down the order, then turned and slipped it through a whole in the wall to the folks in the kitchen, then he immediately turned to get the bourbon.

Alec glanced at Brian and asked, "Alcohol? At a time like this?"

Brian shrugged. "Just a few shots."

Alec shook his head with a sigh. As Brian received his first shot and threw it back, Alec took in the older man's new appearance. For a while, all he saw Brian in was that huge cloak. But now that Brian had taken it off, you could really see what he looked like.

He had a nice body. Fit and strong; understandable, considering his line of work... _Former_ line of work. He wore a tight, long-sleeved, black turtle neck shirt with a gray hooded tank top over it, black jeans and black boots. On his knuckles he had tattoos that would spell out a word if he put his fists together, thumb-to-thumb. It took Alec a moment to guess, but he figured it would say "Marlboro", after the cigarette brand. And from what it looked from the hems of his shirt sleeves, he had more tattoos up his arms, but they were not visible at the time.

Brian noticed Alec staring and he glanced at him, smirking when Alec immediately looked away. He turned back to his second shot of bourbon and picked it up. He looked back at Alec and held up his shot in a toast and said, "How's to new friends?"

Alec looked at him and stared a moment, then couldn't help but want to join in the toast. He lifted his glass of water and said, "Sure."

Just as Brian was about to throw back his drink, a gun shot rang through the bar and the glass shattered in his hand, the bourbon spilling all over the counter and his shirt. Alec had flinched, but only stared at the shattered glass in shock, while everyone else in the bar dove in a panic, screaming.

Brian sighed as he turned in his stool and looked toward the entrance.

Matthew stood with a smug look on his face, his smoking gun aimed directly toward Brian. He wore a pair of sunglasses, covering his bright eyes.

"Should've known the Father would send his Number One after us," Brian said as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the bar.

Alec looked over at Matthew and couldn't help but feel terrified. Something about Matthew just gave off a dark aura that would terrify even the strongest man.

"Who else would he send?" Matthew asked as he pointed his gun upward and took a few steps toward the two. "You're Number Two, right? Anyone else would fail miserably."

"That pride of yours is going to be your downfall, Matt," Brian said with a sigh as he stood up, dropping his arms at his sides.

"I am proud," Matt said with a smirk. "Proud to follow the law of our everlasting God."

"Have you ever actually _read_ the bible?" Brian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have," Matt said, his smile dropping along with his gun hand. "And it clearly states that no man should ever lie with another man as he would with a woman." He took a few steps closer, glancing at Alec with a slight glare before glaring back at Brian. "And you violated God's law by helping this filth escape the wrath of God." He came face to face with Brian and muttered between gritted teeth, "And you can never be forgiven for such treachery." He lifted his gun and aimed it at Brian's temple, smirking darkly. "Any last words, my sinful brother?"

Brian smiled back as he said, "Yeah." He grabbed Matt's gun hand, twisted it upward as a shot rang out, the bullet going through the ceiling, then with his free arm he elbowed Matt in the face. "Get to the aero-pod, Alec!" he shouted as he grabbed Matt's neck and pinned him to a table.

Alec immediately jumped off his stool and ran for the door, only to be grabbed by one of the men, who had come with Matthew, as he walked in the door. "Gates!" Alec shouted, struggling to get away from the man. But the man's grip was too strong and it only tightened around his arms. "Let the fuck go!"

Brian glanced over his shoulder at them and growled when he felt Matt grab his ear and yank on it. He glared down at Matt, who's nose was bleeding, and sunglasses had fallen off. Still holding Matt's gun hand in a firm grip, he lifted it then slammed it against the edge of the table, causing the man to let go of the gun.

Matt brought the heel of his free hand up, catching Brian's chin and forcing the man off him.

Brian stumbled backward a few paces, then caught himself on a chair, then he pulled out his knives and came after Matt.

Matt dodged each swing tactfully, then dropped and swiped his leg underneath Brian, tripping him. He jumped on top of him, grabbing hold of one of Brian's hands and forcing the man hold his own knife to his throat. He smirked as he looked Brian in the eyes. Without looking away, he told his colleague who had Alec, "Kill the kid."

Brian's eyes widened as he turned his head to look toward the door, seeing Alec struggling against the cloaked man. When he saw the cloaked man bring a knife to Alec's throat and Alec freeze in fear, Brian screamed, "NO!"

A gun shot echoed in Brian's ears as the cloaked man suddenly halted then fell down dead at Alec's feet. Brian could not believe his eyes as Kiva stormed in passed Alec and charged over, holding her gun at Matthew's head.

Matthew halted, glaring at Brian now.

"Let him the fuck go, Shadows," Kiva said firmly.

Matthew gave Brian one last glare before he let him go and stood up, hands an over his head. He turned toward Kiva and smirked. "How the hell did you get out?"

"I'm smart," was all Kiva answered as Brian stood up. She kept her gun aimed at Matthew as she began to back away.

Brian ran over to Alec, who had fallen to the floor and backed away to lean against a wall. Brian knelt beside him and softly asked, "Are you all right?"

Alec only stared at the dead man before him, eyes wide and face paled from shock.

Brian grabbed Alec's arms and helped him to his feet, saying, "We need to get going." He looked at Kiva. "You coming?"

Kiva continued backing away toward the door, gun still aimed at Matthew's head. "On my way," she called without looking away.

Brian pulled Alec along through the door.

Matthew laughed as he said, "You will suffer for this. Kiva."

Kiva shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe. Oh, by the way: You should find stronger and smarter men. They were way too easy to take out." She backed out of the door.

Matthew's laughter slowly became maniacal as he dropped his arms at his sides. He began laughing so hard he fell into a chair, slamming a fist on a table as he continued his psychotic laughter.

Outside, Brian was getting onto his aero-pod, and helping Alec on as Kiva ran to her own. "I thought you'd be dead by now!" Brian called to her as she hopped onto her aero-pod.

Kiva smirked at him. "You really think I can be taken out that easily?"

Brian smiled at her.

"I'll give you the run down once we're safe!" Kiva called as she started her engine. She revved the engine with a smirk, then took off into the desert, Brian and Alec following close behind.

Matthew stepped out of the restaurant just as the two aero-pods took off and smirked. He chuckled as he said, "It's been a long time since I've been on a good hunt." He licked his lips in satisfaction before bursting out in maniacal laughter again.


End file.
